


Greatest Generation

by segerge



Series: TASK FORCE [10]
Category: HERO Champions
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-23
Updated: 2015-10-23
Packaged: 2018-04-27 05:54:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5036365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/segerge/pseuds/segerge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(September 1944) Stranded in the middle of World War 2 after the events of 'The Paradox of Doctor Destroyer', TASK FORCE struggles to find a way back to their own time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Greatest Generation

**Author's Note:**

> **warnings** : time travel, intense action sequences, gratuitous USO show subplot, Nazis.
> 
> * * *
> 
> #### Dramatis Personae:
> 
> **Task Force (Dallas-Fort Worth supergroup)**
> 
>   * Ted Jameson (AKA Ranger), CEO of ProStar, speedster and team leader
>   * Julie Dormyer (AKA Ladyhawk), Chairman of the Board of Directors for ProStar, ninja with latent powers of temporal visualization
>   * Dr. Bob Hawkins (AKA Starforce), Senior Research Scientist for ProStar, power-armor wearer/gadgeteer
>   * Rev. Kent Christiansen (AKA Spiritual Warrior), Associate Pastor of Carrolton Park Church, mage with a holy sword
>   * Frederick 'Bowser' Bastable (AKA Mr. Bassman), jazz artist and mutant sonic projector
>   * Zes'arou Al'Gari Vikon (AKA Sage), exiled Varanyi psionic
> 

> 
> **WW2 era**
> 
>   * Roger Stephens (AKA Union Jack), (expy of Captain America except a product of Great Britain's WW2 Super-Soldier programme)
>   * Col. Ed Chapman, USAAF, Base Commander RAF Woodbridge
>   * Maj. James Harmon III, USAAF, Executive to the Base Commander, RAF Woodbridge
>   * PFC Michael Renton, USAAF, Electronics specialist
> 

> 
> **1986 era**
> 
>   * Patricia Renton (AKA Siren), retired superheroine
>   * Peter Renton, teenaged son of Michael and Patricia Renton
> 

> 
> **villains**
> 
>   * Col. Ernst von Niehl, commandant, Der Riese Research Complex, Lower Silesia, Germany
>   * Dr. Albert Zerstoiten, German scientist working at Der Riese
> 

> 
> **AUTHOR'S NOTE 1** : Internal monologue is denoted by [[ ]], telepathy by (( ))

(fade in on temperate-climate forest, early morning. TASK FORCE is passed out in the middle of a clearing around Die Glocke, mist and smoke slowly dissipating from the energies which deposited them there. For them, it's been seconds since the end of 'The Paradox of Dr. Destroyer')

(Ranger comes to being helped by Spiritual Warrior)

**Ranger** : "Is everyone all right?"

**Spiritual Warrior** (lifting the remains of the steel bars which had held Ranger in place at the Trinity Site): "We're all coming to. Some a little more quicker than others."

**Ladyhawk** (coming to, on one knee): "I don't think we're in New Mexico anymore."

**Ranger** : "Is there any way of figuring out where or when we are?"

**Mr. Bassman** : "Sage-mon could do a mind scan..."

**Sage** : "Which would take a while to do properly. Time we might not have."

**Starforce** : "An EM sweep would be quickest if we're close to any civilization. If we aren't, I'll switch to chemical analysis or you can just have Vikon do his thing then."

**Ranger** : "EM sweep. Do it."

**Starforce** : "Okay... FM and TV commercial bands are too quiet. There's some strong unmodulated signals around 200 Megahertz, probably some form of search radar. More unmodulated signals around where Citizen's Band should be in America, too." (beat) "I haven't seen waveforms this sloppy since my first ham radio."

**Ladyhawk** : "Don't be so hard on yourself, Nerd-boy. That was when you were, what, 3?"

**Starforce** : "Bite your tongue, Ninjette. I was 7."

**Ladyhawk** : "Slacker."

**Starforce** : "Oh, THAT'S what's going on above the AM commercial bands! I haven't heard Morse code in *years*!" (beat) "It's encrypted, anyway. I'm getting nothing but gibberish when I attempt to decode it in my head."

**Ranger** : "Your onboard computer can't do that?"

**Starforce** : "Didn't load either program before we went Destroyer-hunting. Didn't think I *needed* them..." (beat) "Oooh, digging the Glenn Miller vibe all across AM."

**Mr. Bassman** : "Big Band music?"

**Starforce** : "Jazz, too. You'd be in heaven, Bowser."

**Ranger** : "Focus, Starforce..."

**Starforce** : "I *am*. I'm waiting for local top of the hour to get a precise temporal fix on us."

**Ladyhawk** : "Huh?"

(he suddenly raises a hand)

**Starforce** : "Wait one, station ID." (beat) "English language, STRONG British accent. News has started."

(his free hand is now over his ear)

**Starforce** : "Ranger, when was Antwerp recaptured by the Allies in World War 2?"

**Ranger** (making his Military History roll): "That was in early September of 1944."

**Starforce** : "Apparently, guys, so are we."

* * *

(Rendlesham Forest, England, September 5th, 1944. One second later)

**Starforce** : "Spock to Kirk, 'Tomorrow is Yesterday.' Favorite episode ever."

**Mr. Bassman** : "I thought 'The Doomsday Machine' was your favorite."

**Starforce** : "I can have more than one."

**Ranger** : "How do we get back to 1986?"

**Starforce** : "Well, for starters it's not going to be as simple as hoping that one of us has an eccentric uncle living up in the Lake Country who has a wardrobe that just happens to connect to the right year."

(Spiritual Warrior stifles a laugh at the gratuitous Narnia reference)

**Ranger** : "I would have preferred a Police Call Box, myself."

**Starforce** (to Ranger, eyes wide): "You never told me you watched _Doctor Who_!"

**Ladyhawk** (muttered): "Oh, great. Now he'll NEVER shut up."

**Sage** : "Ranger, we have company. 12 people on foot, about 600 feet to our south and coming this way." /* Detect Minds with a hellacious bonus */

**Ranger** : "I wasn't expecting any company in the middle of a forest."

**Spiritual Warrior** : "We might have looked like an airplane crash when we re-materialized."

**Ladyhawk** (indicating Die Glocke): "There's enough cover for *us* to hide, but there's no way we're going to hide THAT by the time they get here."

**Starforce** : "Why do we WANT to hide from them? I can't re-energize Die Glocke in the middle of a forest."

**Ranger** : "You could jump-start it with your suit, can't you?"

**Starforce** : "My suit can't generate what we'd need, based on the playback of our last seconds at Trinity." (beat) "If we're where I THINK we are, there are RAF bases to our immediate north and south."

**Mr. Bassman** : "That would explain the speed of their response."

**Starforce** : "Tapping the local power grid shouldn't be too much of a problem from either of them, but we have to let them capture us to do that."

**Ranger** : "Which means *I* have to convince the authorities we're not a Nazi Special Ops team."

**Starforce** (distantly, looking at Die Glocke and calculating): "You have your problems, I have mine."

**Spiritual Warrior** : "So where ARE we in England?"

**Starforce** : "I'm guessing Rendlesham Forest. Every test flight except the 1965 Kecksburg flight came *here* at the end of 1980." (beat) "Dr. Destroyer also mentioned retrieving it from Rendlesham in 1944 before our most recent misadventure. I have a feeling THAT event is in our immediate future."

**Mr. Bassman** : "Great. The road home goes through Nazi Germany."

**Ladyhawk** : "That ought to be fun."

**Sage** : "150 feet. We should be hearing them any second now."

(there is a rustling off to their south)

**Ranger** : "Act casual. Obey their instructions, and let me do the talking. Sage, mind-link with me, let me know what the squad leader is thinking."

(a squad of MPs emerges from the trees and surrounds TASK FORCE)

**Squad Leader** : "DON'T MOVE! HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEADS!"

(TASK FORCE complies without complaint)

**Squad Leader** : "You're in a restricted area, pal. You better have a REAL good explanation for that."

**Ranger** : "I need to speak with your base commander."

**Random Soldier 1** : "I dunno, Sarge. He sounds like he's from Texas."

**Random Soldier 2** : "But they've got one of them Nazi Buck Rogers weapons! Like the buzz-bombs and missiles they's hittin' us with..."

**Ranger** : "We were stealing the artifact from the Nazis and got waylaid."

**Sage** : ((the squad leader is confused. He wants to believe you're German but you sound like his platoon commander))

**Ranger** : "If you can get a deuce and a half back here with a sledge, you can take the artifact to one of your hangars for safekeeping while I arrange for its transportation back stateside."

**Squad Leader** (beat): "I'll need to see orders."

**Ranger** : "Lost in combat. Sorry."

**Squad Leader** : "That was convenient." (turns around) "Sparks! Get on the horn to the flightline. I'm gonna need a deuce-and-a-half, a sledge, and some towing equipment in the forest! I'll also need two bulldozers and a trailer to meet us on the access road."

(Starforce clears his throat and gets Sage's attention while those orders are being issued. Sage adds him to the mindlink)

**Starforce** (to Ranger): ((there's a residual radiation threat if they handle it. Kent's been blocking it while we're here, but they won't have that protection once they start moving it))

**Ranger** : ((how do we protect them?))

**Starforce** : ((minimize their exposure time. Have them spend no more than half an hour at a time around it))

**Ranger** : ((got it)) (verbally) "Squad leader?"

**Squad Leader** : "What do you want, Texas?"

**Ranger** : "Your troops need to spend no more than half an hour at a time around the artifact when you move it. I have reason to believe it is still dangerous to human health."

(beat while Squad Leader stares down Ranger)

**Squad Leader** : "Sparks? We're gonna need another platoon in the forest."

**Ranger** : "Thank you."

* * *

(base chapel, RAF Woodbridge. Noon, 9/5/1944. TASK FORCE is waiting, but under armed guard. Col. Chapman, base commander enters)

**Chapman** : "As if I didn't have ENOUGH problems already, a bunch of CIRCUS FREAKS decides to make a ruckus in the forest!"

**Ranger** : "We're not with the circus, sir."

(Chapman registers the snap and authority in Ted's voice)

**Chapman** : "You in charge, son?"

**Ranger** : "Maj. Ted Jameson, United States Army. My unit here was on a special operation deep in Germany until this morning."

**Chapman** : "You wouldn't be associated with those Haynesville Project people, would you? Because you sure dress like 'em." /* gratuitous Golden Age Champions Universe reference */

**Ranger** : "If we were, we wouldn't be authorized to tell you. Even if we HADN'T lost our records in transit."

(tense pause)

**Chapman** : "Oh, you're good, Jameson. That IS your name, isn't it?"

**Ranger** : "Since the day I was born, sir."

**Chapman** : "And the rest of your personnel?"

**Ranger** (indicating each member of TASK FORCE): "Lieutenant Dormyer is my second-story specialist and driver. Lieutenant Hawkins is on loan from..." (catches himself before he uses the phrase 'Manhattan Project') "...another project. Master Sergeant Christiansen is the team muscle. Sergeant Bastable provides tech support, and Sergeant Alou is my administrative assistant."

**Chapman** : "Damned odd collection there, Major."

**Ranger** : "For what I do, they're the best in the business." (beat) "Why else would we appear out of thin air with a Nazi wonder-weapon?"

**Chapman** : "And just where did you appear out of thin air FROM, Major?"

**Ranger** : "Lieutenant Hawkins?"

**Starforce** : "We were investigating a massive underground research complex near Ludwigsdorf in lower Silesia, part of what used to be the Sudetenland. Our mission was to investigate rumors of advanced propulsion projects, steal them if possible, or destroy them if we couldn't."

**Chapman** : "And why are you at MY base?"

**Starforce** : "A miscalculation on my part. I was attempting to jump us and the artifact directly back to America. It's the sort of thing I have difficulty doing accurately with a bunch of Nazis shooting at me."

**Ranger** (internal monologue): [[DAMN, Bob! Even *I* believed that...]]

(awkward pause. Col. Chapman is trying to decide if he believes them)

**Ranger** : "If you'll allow us access to the artifact, I'm sure we can be back on our way with a minimum of disruption to your base..."

**Chapman** : "Not so fast, Major. Your story *sounds* good, but you still have to convince ME you're Americans."

**Ranger** : "What do we have to do? Put on a show for you?"

**Chapman** : "Actually, that would do it. Damn Nazis sure don't understand America or they wouldn't have declared war on us after Pearl Harbor. Sure as shootin' they don't understand American entertainment, either."

**Ranger** (looking at Starforce and Mr. Bassman): "I think we'll surprise you."

**Chapman** : "One way or another, I'm counting on that. 2100 at the Officer's Club. Be there."

**Ranger** : "Until then, can we have quarters and uniforms?"

**Chapman** : "I'll have Major Harmon, my executive officer, get those lined up. See you tonight."

(Col. Chapman leaves with his MPs. Awkward pause)

**Starforce** : "Boss, you DO realize that putting on a show only works in the movies?"

**Ranger** : "We have to prove to the commander that we aren't German agents. Tell me a better way of doing that and believe me, I'll take it!"

**Spiritual Warrior** : "We *are* in the era where that type of movie was popular."

**Starforce** : "You're not helping."

**Ladyhawk** (to Bob): "You and Bowser are our best musicians, Nerd-boy. Piece of cake."

**Mr. Bassman** : "No, it's not."

**Ranger** : "Explain."

**Mr. Bassman** : "It's 1944, and it's still the era of Jim Crow and segregation. Can someone explain to me HOW I am going to get into the Officer's Club in spite of my skin color?"

**Ranger** (internal monologue): [[Oh, CRAP]]

(awkward pause)

**Spiritual Warrior** : "Oh."

**Mr. Bassman** : "Even without that problem, neither me nor Bob will attract the men in the club the way that, say, Julie would."

**Ladyhawk** : "And I can't sing." (beat) "Ted, WHAT were you THINKING?"

**Ranger** : "I'm still thinking we have all afternoon to figure out how to put on a show."

**Starforce** : "We have a PSIONIC on our team! Why can't we just mind-control Colonel Chapman?"

(Bowser registers what Bob has just said. An idea suddenly starts to take shape)

**Ranger** (to Bob): "I don't know how long you're going to take to hotwire Die Glocke for transit back to our time. That's not an option I'm willing to risk." (beat) "Yet."

**Mr. Bassman** (interrupting): "Vikon, can you give Julie MY musical abilities? Just for tonight?"

(everyone looks at Bowser)

**Spiritual Warrior** (awed): "That would work!"

**Starforce** : "If I had the rest of the day, I *might* be able to list all the reasons why that is SO wrong..."

**Ranger** (silencing Bob): "Vikon?"

**Sage** : "Given that we have over 8 hours of time, the required psionic surgery would be simple. I will need Miss Dormyer's consent and the assistance of both Mr. Bastable and Dr. Hawkins."

**Ladyhawk** (beat): "I'm in."

(Ted looks at Bob and Bowser)

**Starforce** (beat, then shrugs his shoulders): "If it will get us access to Die Glocke again, let's do it."

**Ladyhawk** (to Starforce): "I thought you said it wasn't possible, Nerd-boy."

**Starforce** : "I never said it was impossible, Ninjette. I only said it was wrong."

**Mr. Bassman** : "What are we waiting for?"

* * *

(Inside Julie's mind. Vikon, Bowser, Bob, and Julie appear to be in a mid-1980's era recording studio)

**Ladyhawk** : "What is this place?"

**Mr. Bassman** : "A recording studio."

**Starforce** : "We're still inside your head, though."

**Sage** : "Sometimes, it helps to render mental surgery using concepts and metaphors familiar to the participants. In this case, a setting very familiar to Mr. Bastable and, surprisingly enough, Dr. Hawkins."

**Ladyhawk** (to Bob): "When have YOU ever been in a recording studio, Nerd-boy?"

**Starforce** : "The Purdue Glee Club cut an album my freshman year, spring of 1979 as I recall. We spent all day in a recording studio north of Anderson, Indiana laying down tracks."

**Sage** : "A vividly-remembered experience, nonetheless."

**Starforce** (smiles): "Well, I DID spend my lunch hour geeking out in the control booth..."

**Mr. Bassman** : "Bob, focus. I need you to help sort through my repertoire to figure out what she's going to sing."

(Bowser pulls over a tape cart)

**Mr. Bassman** (continuing): "This should be everything I know from the Big Band era."

**Starforce** (beat): "For some reason, I thought the selection would be larger..."

**Mr. Bassman** : "My specialties are smooth jazz and fusion. I haven't done much Swing-era stuff."

**Starforce** : "Vikon, what do *I* know well enough to teach Ninjette?"

(Vikon grabs another tape cart from the shadows and moves it over to Bob and Bowser)

**Sage** : "I've already removed the duplicates."

**Mr. Bassman** : "Okay. This is better."

(Bob and Bowser start going through the tapes)

**Starforce** (picking up a tape): "Oooh, 'I Love You for Sentimental Reasons.' That'll be a good one..."

**Mr. Bassman** : "We can't use that one. It won't be written for another 5 years."

**Starforce** (tossing tape aside): "Well, crap."

**Mr. Bassman** (picking up a tape): "Wow, the piano part on this one's phenomenal!"

**Starforce** : "Lemme see." (takes the tape, then blushes slightly) "Oh. Stag Night 1979."

**Ladyhawk** (raising an eyebrow): "Stag Night, Nerd-boy?"

**Starforce** : "A Purdue Glee Club tradition during the last night of camp at the start of the school year. The non-scatalogical acts are attempts to audition new solo and ensemble pieces in front of the director." (beat) "This was my own arrangement of a Jerome Kern standard."

**Mr. Bassman** : "Vikon, can we have a piano, please?"

(a piano appears in front of Bob)

(Mr. Bassman pops the tape into the console and hits a switch)

(Bob suddenly starts playing a 4-measure intro)

**Ladyhawk** (singing): "Some day, when I'm awfully low, and the world is cold..."

(by now, Bob and Julie have made eye contact)

**Ladyhawk** (singing to Bob): "I will feel a glow just thinking of you..."

(Bob finds himself involuntarily joining in)

**Ladyhawk/Starforce** (singing to each other): "And the way you look tonight."

**Mr. Bassman** (flipping the switch back): "That sounds good. Solidly in her range."

**Ladyhawk** (shaking her head in confusion): "Okay."

**Starforce** (shaking his head and blinking rapidly): "Is the piano arrangement too modern for 1944? I can substitute a smooth bossa nova in the same key."

**Mr. Bassman** : "I think we're fine as is." (sets tape on the console): "Okay, there's one you can do."

(Bob resumes scanning both tape carts)

**Starforce** (handing tape to Bowser): "Oh, I LOVE the piano part on this one! Gershwin brothers, pre-war, and it's in her range."

(Bowser pops the tape in and flips the switch)

**Ladyhawk** (singing): "In time the Rockies may tumble, Gibraltar may crumble, they're only made of clay..."

(Bowser flips the switch back and ejects the tape)

**Mr. Bassman** (puts 'Our Love is Here to Stay' on top of 'The Way You Look Tonight'): "Okay, there's another one." (beat, to Julie) "If you can do a little choreography, you'll be like pure sex up on the stage singing it."

**Ladyhawk** : "Wait a minute. Nobody said I had to dance."

**Mr. Bassman** : "Just a slow, sultry walk to the rhythm of the song during the first verse. Nothing difficult."

**Ladyhawk** (beat): "I can do that."

**Starforce** (going through the tapes): "What about this one?"

(Bowser puts the tape Bob just handed him into the console and flips a switch)

**Ladyhawk** (singing): "It's a Barnum and Bailey world, just as phony as it can be..."

(Bowser flips the switch back)

**Starforce** : "No double meaning there."

**Mr. Bassman** (pops 'Paper Moon' and adds it to the set list pile): "Bit high at the beginning of that phrase, but she can hit it at full power."

**Starforce** (holding another tape): "How about this one?"

**Mr. Bassman** (touching the tape for a moment): "Are you sure you're not choosing this one because of the piano part?"

**Ladyhawk** : "Guys? Do I have a say in this?"

(Bob and Bowser look at her, then Bowser puts the tape in and flips the switch. Bob finds himself playing a very blues-y intro on the piano)

**Ladyhawk** (singing): "I could show the world how to smile, I could be glad all of the while..."

(once again, she makes eye contact with Bob)

**Ladyhawk** (singing): "I could turn the gray skies to blue..."

(Bob is now wide-eyed)

**Ladyhawk/Starforce** (singing to each other): "If I had you..."

(Bowser flips the switch and looks at them strangely)

**Starforce** (muttered, shaking his head): "Damn, it happened again."

**Ladyhawk** (to Vikon): "What's happening?"

**Sage** : "There's an occasional synergistic feedback between you and Dr. Hawkins. I'm having difficulty compensating for it."

**Mr. Bassman** : "They're not in any danger, are they?"

**Sage** : "Shouldn't be."

**Mr. Bassman** (adding 'If I Had You' to the set list pile): "OK." (beat) "Julie, this is another song you'll want to strut and otherwise work the audience while singing."

**Ladyhawk** : "Any ideas?"

**Mr. Bassman** : "Use your imagination, but keep it to the rhythm of the music."

**Starforce** (looking at Bowser's tape cart): "WHERE did you learn Vera Lynn numbers?"

**Mr. Bassman** : "A vanity project idea to do a World War 2-themed album." (beat, taking the first tape from Bob) "This one's the Rosemary Clooney cover of it."

(Bowser puts the tape in and flips the switch)

**Ladyhawk** (singing): "I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places..."

**Mr. Bassman** (popping 'I'll Be Seeing You' out and adding it to the set list pile): "That'll get them crying. That's a keeper."

**Ladyhawk** : "I know this is cool, but it's a little disconcerting the way you're using me to sample these songs."

**Starforce** (smiling): "Are you kidding? This is how ALL recording sessions should go!"

**Mr. Bassman** (picking up another tape): "ANOTHER Purdue Glee Club number?"

**Starforce** (touching tape): "Oh, senior year! Accompaniment for someone else's solo. Fun to play, but the vocalist was a prick." (laughs) "The director actually TOLD me to play up the conflict between us as part of performing this number."

**Mr. Bassman** : "It's too high for her, though. Julie's a natural alto."

**Starforce** : "We need more lively numbers, though." (beat, then to Vikon) "Vikon, can we alter the pitch of this memory?"

(Vikon indicates a knob next to the switch. Bob twists it three clicks to the left)

**Starforce** (slotting tape into the console): "I've lowered the key from F to D-flat. Give it a try."

(Bob flips the switch)

**Ladyhawk** : "I got rhythm, I got music..."

(Bob flips the switch back)

**Starforce** (flipping the switch back): "Perfect."

**Mr. Bassman** (to Julie): "Just remember to switch the line from 'my girl' to 'my man'."

**Sage** : "I can take care of that."

**Starforce** (holding tape up in front of Bowser): "What about this one?"

**Mr. Bassman** (slapping his head): "Why didn't *I* think of that?"

**Ladyhawk** : "Think of what?"

**Mr. Bassman** : "I recorded a demo tape last month singing a Hoagy Carmichael number. Bob accompanied on the piano." (beat, to Bob) "You pitched the arrangement for me. Is it going to be too deep for her?"

**Starforce** (beat, touching the tape): "E below middle C? She's got that."

**Mr. Bassman** (adding 'Stardust' to set list pile): "Good."

**Starforce** (eyeing set list pile): "Using the old Glee Club rule of thumb, that's about 25 minutes of material right there. Is that enough?"

**Mr. Bassman** : "If we haven't convinced Col. Chapman we're Americans by then, I don't know what will." (to Vikon) "I think we're ready."

**Sage** (to Julie as he takes the set list tapes): "There may be some disorientation as I add these to your memory, Miss Dormyer. I will help you deal with it."

**Ladyhawk** : "How long will I know these?"

**Sage** : "The memories should last until your next sleep cycle."

**Ladyhawk** : "Then let's get started."

**Mr. Bassman** (to Bob): "You'll be accompanying her. Are you going to need the memories, too?"

**Starforce** (shaking head): "Nah. I grew up listening to this music." /* Professional Skill: Piano playing 14- */

**/* Julie's song set** : 'Paper Moon', 'Stardust', 'If I Had You', 'The Way You Look Tonight', 'Our Love is Here to Stay', 'I'll Be Seeing You', 'I Got Rhythm' */

* * *

(Officer's Club, RAF Woodbridge. That night. Ted, Julie, and Bob are entering before the show, dressed as USAAF officers)

**Ranger** : ((Sage. Brain check.))

**Sage** : ((Still five by))

**Ranger** : ((Barracks OK?))

**Spiritual Warrior** : ((We won't have any problems over Bowser with anyone))

**Ranger** : ((Good))

(Col. Chapman and Maj. Harmon intercept Ted)

**Chapman** : Major Jameson! If you could do us the honor of sitting at our table?"

**Ranger** : "I'd be delighted."

**Harmon** : "I'm looking forward to this. We don't get much entertainment here with Bentwater on the other side of the forest from us."

(Bob locates the sound board after scanning the ballroom, manned by a young private first class smoking a pipe. He walks over to it)

**Starforce** : "Aren't you a little young to be smoking a pipe?"

**PFC** : "It makes me look older."

(Bob laughs)

**Starforce** (offering hand): "Lieutenant Bob Hawkins. I'll be playing piano for Lieutenant Dormyer."

**PFC** (shaking hand): "Michael Renton. I'll be running the sound board."

(Bob's eyes bug out)

**Starforce** (over mind link): ((OH MY GOD IT'S AMAZING MAN!! OF THE FABULOUS FIVE!!!))

**Ranger** : ((Good GOD Bob, CALM DOWN!))

**Starforce** : ((sorry)) (verbally) "How did you earn *that* privilege?"

**Renton** : "I built it."

**Starforce** (smiles): "Obviously, then, it works."

**Renton** (without a trace of humor): "Can't trust the officers to run it without breaking it."

**Starforce** : "How mobile is Lieutenant Dormyer going to be with her mike?"

**Renton** : "I custom-built it. She's as mobile as she needs to be on stage as long as she doesn't trip over the cord."

**Starforce** : "Will the piano need to be miked?"

**Renton** : "For the benefit of the monitor speakers, yes. I've already done that."

**Starforce** : "You don't mind if I check it out?"

**Renton** : "It's ready for you."

**Starforce** : "Thank you."

(Bob walks up to the upright piano already up on stage. He sits down and proceeds to play the first page of 'Rhapsody in Blue' from memory)

**Starforce** : ((in tune, action is loose, just the way I like it. I've played a lot of concert grands worse than this))

(O Club audience applauds Bob's mike check. He flashes a thumbs-up to PFC Renton, then gets up and walks over to Julie)

**Starforce** : "Ready?"

**Ladyhawk** : "I guess. I should be more nervous than I am. Aren't you?"

**Starforce** : "Please, I've entertained the President." (gives her a brief hug) "You'll do fine."

(Col. Chapman walks up to the main microphone)

**Chapman** : "Gentlemen, glad you can make it tonight. Tonight, it is our privilege to have some musicians TDY from stateside with us for our evening entertainment. Without further ado, please welcome from Dallas, Texas the lovely Lieutenant Julie Dormyer, accompanied by Lieutenant Robert Hawkins from Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana."

(desultory applause as Julie walks up to the mike and Bob takes his seat at the piano)

**Starforce** : (('Paper Moon', just like in rehearsal. Knock 'em dead, Ninjette.))

* * *

(Julie is ending 'Our Love is Here to Stay' [Natalie Cole cover]. The wolf-whistles, cheers, and applause are deafening. The Club is now Standing Room Only)

**Ranger** (wide-eyed): ((I need a cigarette))

**Spiritual Warrior** : ((Ted, you don't smoke))

**Ranger** : ((I do now))

* * *

****(Officer's Club, RAF Woodbridge, around 10: 30 PM.)

**Starforce** : "C'mon, Cinderella. Gotta get you back to your quarters before your voice turns into a pumpkin."

**Ladyhawk** (waving back into the club): "Bye!"

(door closes. Bob abruptly picks Julie up and spins her around)

**Starforce** (in awe): "You. Were. INCREDIBLE!!"

**Ladyhawk** (squeals in shock, then giggling): "Is that what it's like for you and Bowser when you entertain?"

**Starforce** (releasing her, grinning like an idiot): "Pretty much."

(They walk some distance away from the O club. Bob is still grinning like an idiot)

**Ladyhawk** : "So did it work? Do we have access to Die Glocke again?"

**Starforce** : "Looks like we do. Col. Chapman was practically tripping over himself to congratulate us. Ted was grinning ear-to-ear at the time."

**Ladyhawk** : "Who knew music could be so powerful?"

(Bob raises his hand. Julie giggles again)

**Starforce** : "The whole ROOM could've eaten out of your hand by the end of the night."

**Ladyhawk** (smiles): "I think it was more than just the room, Nerd-boy."

**Starforce** : "Excuse me?"

**Ladyhawk** : "The Jerome Kern number? I could read your emotions over the mind link, and even if I couldn't you had *serious* eyes on me while I was singing it."

**Starforce** (looking away, blushing): "Well, I... never knew when I arranged it 7 years ago I'd be playing it for a glamorous wartime singer tonight."

(he looks back at Julie hesitatingly, a shy smile on his face)

**Ladyhawk** : "Nebula WAS right! You *are* almost painfully shy!"

(it starts to rain)

**Starforce** : "Aw, CRAP!"

(he tries to use his jacket to keep Julie dry)

**Ladyhawk** : "Nerd-boy? I'm ALREADY WET! Why are you trying to keep me dry?"

(Bob looks at Julie, then at his jacket)

**Starforce** : "I don't know. Instinct?"

(Julie laughs. Bob looks at her, then joins her. She hugs him) 

(As the rain continues to fall around them, Bob realizes that Julie has yet to let go)

**Starforce** : "Uh, Julie? Are you OK?"

**Ladyhawk** : "I'm fine. You're the one who seems to be having the problem right now."

(Bob looks confused. Julie rolls her eyes and puts his arms around herself before resuming her side of the embrace.)

**Ladyhawk** : "There. MUCH better."

(Bob's eyes are VERY wide as he looks into Julie's)

**Starforce** : "I'm not complaining, but what brought this on?"

**Ladyhawk** : "Tonight." (beat) "And a sparring match I had with Nebula over the weekend. She made me admit that I had some issues concerning you."

**Starforce** : "OK..."

**Ladyhawk** : "Perhaps it's time I worked them out."

**Starforce** : "If I can hack Die Glocke tomorrow and get us home, how do I know we won't go back to way we've always treated each other?"

**Ladyhawk** : "Let tomorrow take care of itself. Right now, 'Lieutenant' Robert Hawkins, we have tonight."

(long pause, held gaze as the rain continues to fall. Neither makes an effort to break their embrace. Bob caresses some rain away from Julie's face)

**Starforce** : "You know, if I *can't* hack Die Glocke there's a certain appeal to not going back to our time, finding someplace in the middle of nowhere, and letting history pass us by."

**Ladyhawk** : "You're kidding."

**Starforce** : "Why not? Until around 1980, there are a lot of places in the middle of nowhere within 20 miles of Indianapolis."

(Julie puts a hand in back of Bob's head to help bring his face down to her level)

**Ladyhawk** (murmuring): "Quite a few within 20 miles of Dallas as well."

(They are about to kiss. That's the moment Julie's danger sense chooses to malfunction)

**Ladyhawk** (internal monologue): [[Bob is soaking wet, his mask up on his forehead, holding my lifeless body in his arms and screaming at me to breathe...]]

(Julie's eyes widen in horror. More images blast through her mind of a future on the brink of not happening)

**Starforce** : "What's wrong?"

**Ladyhawk** (panicked): "I have to go!"

(Julie runs off to her quarters, splashing through puddles in her haste. Bob remains, as confused as the readers probably are right now. Long pause)

**Starforce** : "Oh, who am I kidding? She's still out of my league."

* * *

(restricted hangar, RAF Woodbridge. Morning, 9/6/1944)

(A jeep drops Julie off in front of the hangar, dressed as a USAAF lieutenant. The MPs snap to attention and salute her as she walks up to the door. Returning the salute, she enters the hangar)

(The rest of TASK FORCE is in the hangar, all around Die Glocke. Major Harmon and a British superhero are talking with Ted, and PFC Renton is running thick cables from the hangar's fuse box. Bob is hammering furiously at a typewriter while another private is waiting on him to finish. Bob stops long enough to make brief eye contact with Julie, then resumes his typing.)

**Ladyhawk** (internal monologue): [[what happened to me last night is going to be VERY hard to explain to Bob]]

**Ranger** : "Lieutenant Dormyer! Good morning!"

(Julie walks over to that cluster of people. She gets a better view of the British superhero and her eyes bug out)

**Ladyhawk** : "Oh, my God! It's Union Jack!"

**Union Jack** : "Please, leftenant. Call me Captain Stephens."

**Ladyhawk** (pumping his hand in a handshake, still fangirling): "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir!"

**Union Jack** : "I regret I was unable to catch your show at the Officer's Club last night. I understand you have quite the career in show business waiting for you once the war's over."

(Laughing, Major Harmon separates Julie's hand from Union Jack's)

**Harmon** : "Lieutenant, that's his Nazi-punching hand. We wouldn't want anything to happen to it now, would we?"

**Ladyhawk** : "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me!"

**Union Jack** (smiles): "That's quite all right, leftenant."

**Harmon** : "Captain Stephens is here from the Ministry of Defence. Anything we discover, we share with him."

**Ladyhawk** : "Well, I think he'd be better off talking with Bob... Leftenant... Lieutenant Hawkins than me."

(she giggles nervously)

**Union Jack** : "I expect to be as soon as finishes assaulting that typewriter he borrowed."

(Bob finishes with the typewriter and signs what he has been working on. He adds it to what appear to be several handwritten pages full of equations, folds the sheaf up, and stuffs it into a pre-addressed envelope)

**Starforce** (sealing envelope and handing it to waiting private): "It is VITALLY IMPORTANT to our national security that the delivery instructions on this envelope be followed. TO. THE. LETTER."

(the private glances at the envelope. His eyes bug out slightly)

**Private** : "Yes, sir!"

(the private salutes Bob, does an about-face, and leaves. Bob breathes a sigh of relief. Union Jack notices)

**Union Jack** : "Leftenant, you've been QUITE busy with the typewriter there since I arrived."

**Starforce** : "It needed to be done."

**Union Jack** : "So you're the boffin who's going to crack the secrets of Jerry's new plaything."

**Starforce** : "I hope so, sir. That's the plan, at least."

(Bob and Union Jack walk over toward Die Glocke, still talking. Major Harmon steps back, all the better to supervise)

**Ranger** (to Julie): "Do you remember anything at all about last night?"

**Ladyhawk** (hesitant): "I remember singing at the O club. Don't ask me to do it again, because for the life of me I don't remember HOW I did it."

**Sage** : "As good as my word, Major Jameson."

**Ranger** : "If we had to, could we do it again?"

**Mr. Bassman** : "We were approaching the limits of what both Bob and I knew that was period-specific and could be sung by her. We *could*, but I would recommend against it."

**Sage** : "We also run the risk of permanent mental scarring with repeated surgeries of that nature in such a short time on Miss Dormyer's mind."

(there is a commotion over by Die Glocke which attracts Ted's attention. He walks over)

**Starforce** (to PFC Renton): "I KNOW I said I needed power runs over here. The artifact is NOT to be powered until we SAY so!"

**Ranger** : "Problems?"

**Starforce** : "We need to talk. NOW."

(Ted pulls Bob to one side)

**Ranger** : "Calm down, soldier. That's an order."

**Starforce** (sighs): "Okay. Remember at Trinity Site when I didn't agree with Dr. Destroyer's order of test flights?"

**Ranger** (beat): "You said something to the effect that you didn't think the math worked out."

**Starforce** : "Well, I had a chance last night to compare Die Glocke's known flights to the sensor inputs I took during our transit. It DOESN'T work out."

**Ranger** : "How much sleep did you get?"

**Starforce** : "Not enough." (looking over at Julie) "I needed to keep my mind busy."

**Ranger** : "Focus, Bob. The math?"

**Starforce** : "As I speak, there are Nazi scientists in Lower Silesia repeatedly punching the recall button for Die Glocke. The second I power it up here, it goes bye-bye and we're STUCK here."

**Harmon** (being nosy): "We can get you back home."

(Ted and Bob look at Maj. Harmon)

**Starforce** (to Ted): "We HAVE to tell them."

(tense pause)

**Ranger** (to Maj. Harmon): "I'm going to need Private Renton and Union Jack over here, please."

(Maj. Harmon brings them over)

**Ranger** : "We have been keeping some... critical details from you concerning our presence here that you didn't need to know. You need to know them now."

**Renton** : "You're not from around here, are you?

**Ranger** (eyes wide): "In a manner of speaking, no."

**Starforce** (beat): "We're from 42 years in your future."

(long pause)

**Union Jack** : "Great Britain possesses a villian who claims to be over 500 years old and the bastard child of Richard II. Nothing surprises me."

**Harmon** : "You should hear some of the stories my Dad tells of his adventures twenty years ago."

**Renton** (taking a drag from his pipe): "I read stranger things in _Astounding_ each month."

(beat)

**Starforce** : "Okaaay, that was easy."

**Renton** : "You're going to need this device to get back to your proper time, then?"

**Ranger** : "Yes."

**Starforce** : "And there's a problem with that. I have it on VERY good authority that its next journey was..." (beat, shakes head) "Will be from 1944 England to 1944 Lower Silesia."

**Union Jack** : "So to get back to 1986, you're going to need to jump from the heart of Nazi Germany?"

**Starforce** : "I've double-checked my math. There's no other jump sequence that fits Die Glocke's known history."

**Harmon** (beat): "I get to see what life was like for Dad. What are we waiting for?"

**Ranger** : "Civilian clothes." 

(everyone looks at him strangely)

**Ranger** (continuing): "In case we need to blend into the local populace while we track it back to its lab?"

* * *

(restricted hangar, RAF Woodbridge. half an hour later. Everyone is now dressed as German blue-collar workers. Maj. Harmon, Spiritual Warrior, Ranger, and Mr. Bassman have backpacks)

**Harmon** : "I took the liberty of getting some gear that we may need in addition to the clothes."

**Ranger** (looking into his pack and taking out a small, plastic-looking brick): "Is this what I think it is?"

**Harmon** : "RDX-based plastic explosive. Between all of us, there should be more than enough to vaporize Die Glocke after we get you guys home."

**Ranger** : "How are YOU going to get out?"

**Union Jack** : "Find a plane, steal it, and fly it to Switzerland. It won't be the first time I've done it this war."

(Starforce and PFC Renton are leaning into Die Glocke)

**Starforce** : "Dr. Destroyer appears to have added a second mode of operation to Die Glocke at Trinity, which he apparently never got the opportunity to test out." (indicates a 1980's style switch on the 1944-era control panel) "Flip this switch, and the *insides* of Die Glocke turn into a temporal portal. It's just like the Guardian of Forever, only without Joan Collins walking out in front of the truck."

**Renton** (beat): "I don't get it."

**Starforce** : "You will in 23 years."

(Ladyhawk clears her throat)

**Starforce** : "Yes?"

(she shows him a tracker bug, then reaches under the console and attaches it)

**Ladyhawk** : "Just because you built it, Nerd-boy, doesn't mean I won't carry it."

**Renton** : "Is that like an IFF transponder?"

**Starforce** : "Basically. With my mask on, I'll be able to keep a target lock on it even if we're separated by several miles now."

**Ladyhawk** (rolling her eyes): "You're welcome."

**Ranger** : "Starforce. Are you about ready?"

**Starforce** : "Yes. Get everyone together close to Die Glocke. I'm about to jump-start it."

(Starforce looks at PFC Renton)

**Starforce** : "That includes you, son. If there are any weird discharges when I make the last connection, I'm MUCH more likely to survive them than you are."

(Renton backs out of Die Glocke)

**Ranger** : "We're ready."

**Starforce** (reaching under Die Glocke): "Connecting in 3... 2... 1... Now."

(Starforce hooks up the last jumper cable, then backs away as Die Glocke comes to life. Energy builds furiously around it as it levitates and begins spinning.)

**Starforce** (shielding Ladyhawk, looking back over his shoulder): "You know, if there was ONE time in my life I wanted to be wrong about something, this was *it*."

(Glowing tendrils of energy lash out at the walls of the hangar. A searing flash of light blinds everyone. When their eyes clear, the hangar is gone. In its place is a pastoral mountain valley)

**Spiritual Warrior** : "We didn't pass out this time."

**Starforce** : "I'll say this for German engineering. I like that I don't throw up after it teleports me."

**Ranger** : "How come we didn't appear in the lab complex?"

**Starforce** : "Die Glocke was carrying us with it. The extra mass probably threw its navigation off."

**Union Jack** : "How far?"

**Starforce** : "Based on what Tara gave us, we landed about a mile due west of its home base." (points to the village to their southeast) "We're going to have to go through Ludwigsdorf, then take the road to the old Wencelas Mine about three-quarters of a mile north of town. The front of the lab is masquerading as an ammunition plant."

**Union Jack** : "Let's get started, people. We need to be in that village by the time the Wermacht comes looking for Die Glocke."

(everyone who has packs shoulders them, and the team sets off toward Ludwigsdorf)

**Ranger** : "Who here speaks German other than me?"

(Union Jack raises his hand)

**Starforce** : "Es ist schon ein paar Jahre." /* It's been a few years */

**Ladyhawk** (to Starforce): "Smartass."

**Ranger** (to Union Jack): "We should let the German-speakers deal with the locals for us."

**Union Jack** : "Good idea."

* * *

(outskirts of Ludwigsdorf, Lower Silesia, Germany. An hour later)

**Starforce** (taking his mask off and stowing it): "Die Glocke is moving."

**Union Jack** : "About bloody time. The retrieval convoy went through the village half an hour ago."

**Maj. Harmon** (to Ranger): "What was that camp to our south as we came off the mountain?"

**Ranger** : "A concentration camp for slave labor."

**Renton** : "Doesn't seem to be very practical."

**Ranger** : "Practical has nothing to do with it. Killing untermenschen does." (beat) "That camp doesn't even BEGIN to scratch the surface of how evil Nazi Germany has become. Trust me on this."

**Sage** : "Army patrol, company strength, coming down the main road from the west."

**Harmon** : "Probably clearing the road for Die Glocke."

**Union Jack** : "Now might be a good time not to be seen. Ideas?"

**Sage** : "There's no one in the warehouse to our left."

**Ladyhawk** : "The side door down the alley next to it should let us in."

(the team needs no further encouragement, crowding down the alley.)

**Ladyhawk** (working the door with her lockpicks): "What is this, kindergarten?"

(the door opens. Most everyone is able to enter through the side door without mishap until PFC Renton)

(PFC Renton trips going across the jamb, inadvertantly kicking the door shut. The door's deadbolt latches in the process, leaving only Ladyhawk and Starforce left on the wrong side)

**Ladyhawk** (hammering on door, danger sense screaming): "The door's jammed!"

**Starforce** (pulling suit glove over his right hand): "Stand back."

**Ladyhawk** : "You fool! You know how much ATTENTION that will attract?"

**Starforce** (rolling suit glove back): "Can you pick it again?"

**Ladyhawk** (panicking): "There's no TIME!"

(the German patrol is almost on top of the alley. Starforce looks in the direction of the alley entrance)

**Starforce** (internal monologue): [[THINK, Bob!]]

(A solution comes to him. Grabbing Ladyhawk, he abruptly spins her around and starts to kiss her passionately. Her eyes bug out, then she reciprocates because her danger sense shut off the moment he began)

(The patrol looks down the alley)

**Soldier #1** : "Glückspilz!" /* Lucky bastard */

**Soldier #2** : "Ich würde gerne haben, was er hält." /* I'd love to have what he's holding. */

(the patrol continues on past the alley)

(there is a puff of dust from the door as Mr. Bassman destroys the latch and pulls it open. Starforce and Ladyhawk are still in the middle of their fake-out make-out. Ladyhawk waves her left hand at the door to tell him they want to be left alone before putting it back on Starforce)

(LONG pause)

**Ladyhawk** (finally breaking for air, softly): "Nerd-boy?"

**Starforce** : "Yes, Ninjette?"

(another long kiss)

**Ladyhawk** (breaking for air again): "The patrol's been gone for over a minute."

**Starforce** : "Do tell."

**Ranger** : "Ahem."

(Starforce and Ladyhawk look at the door, shocked. The rest of the team applauds. Their eyes widen and they both blush furiously with embarrasment)

**Ladyhawk** (breaking their embrace and dope-slapping Starforce): "You IDIOT! You could have gotten us killed!"

**Union Jack** : "On the contrary, Leftenant Dormyer. Leftenant Hawkins' tradecraft was excellent, and may have saved your lives just now."

**Ladyhawk** (to Union Jack as she enters the room): "Don't encourage him."

**Ranger** (to Starforce as he enters): "Starforce? Focus."

**Starforce** (still a little dazed): "With all due respect, sir, I would prefer not to."

(the team collapses in relief toward the middle of the warehouse. Union Jack suddenly gets curious about the large open space in which he is sitting)

**Union Jack** : "Is it me or does the floor seem hollow right here?"

(Mr. Bassman sonic-teleports over and does some echolocation through the floor with his powers)

**Mr. Bassman** : "There be a whole tunnel under us, mon! Runnin' thisways."

(he indicates a direction with his hand roughly parallel to Ludwigsdorf's main street)

**Starforce** : "Roughly northwest to southeast and parallel with the main road?" (beat, putting his mask on and activating the ground-penetrating radar setting) "Ha! It's a SUBWAY tunnel! I'm getting a strong return for a narrow-gage railroad no more than 15 feet below the floor."

**Ranger** : "Where does it lead?"

(Ladyhawk has now joined the investigation of the floor)

**Starforce** (pointing southeast): "Bowser, is that a curve I'm seeing to the northeast about a couple of hundred feet that way?"

**Mr. Bassman** : "Yah, mon! I hear it!"

**Starforce** : "That would be toward the Mölke subcomplex!" (beat) "I bet this track connects to all the other bunkers and subcomplexes in Der Riese."

(Ladyhawk motions for Spiritual Warrior to join her. She points at a certain spot on the floor, and he begins lifting. A large section of the floor pulls up three inches and smoothly slides to one side.)

**Ladyhawk** : "I bet this warehouse is a cargo drop into the subway network."

**Starforce** (peeking in, mask now set for night vision): "And you would be correct! I'm looking directly at the rail line now."

**Union Jack** : "Then all we have to do is wait for the next eastbound train and we're in business."

**Ranger** : "TASK FORCE, ditch the civilian outfits. We won't be needing them anymore."

* * *

(Untergrundbahn Der Riese, approaching Bahnhof Mölke. The team is on top of the eastbound train that they dropped on top of at Ludwigsdorf)

**Starforce** : "We're approaching our stop, guys. Thirty seconds."

**Ranger** : "Spiritual Warrior? Port us at fifteen."

**Spiritual Warrior** : "Get close, people."

(tense pause)

**Starforce** : "NOW, Pastor."

(with a flash, Spiritual Warrior and all those around him port off the train and rematerialize directly behind the last car [Teleport 10m 8x mass no relative velocity]. Starforce lets go of the train and decelerates relative to it, landing roughly 60 feet ahead of everyone else)

(the team approaches Bahnhof Mölke on foot and crawl up onto the platform along the near wall. Sage establishes a mind-link with everyone present)

**Sage** : ((12 Germans in the guardroom.))

**Ranger** : ((Private Renton. On my command, open the door. TASK FORCE, Zone Flood on door opening)) /* Zone Flood = everyone with a area-effect attack, use it */

(Union Jack gets ready with his shield. TASK FORCE gets ready)

**Mr. Bassman** : ((Where is Ladyhawk?))

(Ladyhawk isn't on the mind-link, either)

**Ranger** : ((Dammit!))

**Sage** : ((Wait one. Squad is leaving the room through another door.))

**Ranger** : ((Renton. Door. Now.))

(PFC Renton opens the door. Ladyhawk is nonchalantly leaning against the opposite wall. She looks at the rest of the team as they enter, points through the other door, and mimes a facepalm)

**Ranger** : "What were you doing?"

**Ladyhawk** : "I'm a ninja, boys. The more I can misdirect the Germans, the deeper we can get in the complex before the rest of you have to use your powers."

**Union Jack** : "Leftenant Dormyer has a very good point, Major."

(Ranger turns back around to Ladyhawk, except that she's gone again)

**Mr. Bassman** : ((Don't you hate it when she does that?))

* * *

(Unterirdischen Forschungs Hangar #3, Mölke subcomplex, Der Riese)

(From the main tunnel, Starforce looks into a large vault whose ceiling appears to be a concrete door. A rather crude, dieselpunk-ish flying saucer with a swastika sits in the middle of it)

**Starforce** (mouth hanging open): "Du mußt mich verarschen!" /* You have GOT to be KIDDING me! */

(A scientist in a lab coat suddenly drops out of it and looks at Starforce. For some reason, he looks familiar)

**Starforce** : "Du da drüben! Wer bist du?" /* You there! Who are you? */

**Scientist** : "Albert Zerstoiten. Und sie sind..." /* And you are... */

(Starforce's eyes grow very wide behind his mask)

(From behind the rolling tool cabinet to Starforce's right, Ladyhawk's Danger Sense screams. Her face pales at what is about to happen)

(Starforce raises his right hand toward the future Dr. Destroyer)

**Starforce** (force beam warming up for discharge): "Dein Tod." /* Your death */

(Unhesitatingly, Ladyhawk steps out from behind the tool cabinet and stands between Starforce and Dr. Zerstoiten)

**Starforce** : "WHAT are you DOING?"

**Ladyhawk** : "You want to kill Dr. Zerstoiten? You'll have to kill me, first."

(Starforce is speechless with shock and rage)

**Zerstoiten** : "Danke, Fraulein. May you live to regret your moment of weakness."

(Zerstoiten runs off to an emergency escape trunk behind the vehicle. There is a CLANG as he secures the hatch behind him)

**Starforce** (raging): "DAMN YOU! You KNOW what he becomes!"

**Ladyhawk** : "If you had killed him now, it would have been the greatest and LAST mistake of your life." (beat) "Please, take your time thanking me."

* * *

(Haupttunnel Mölke, between Unterirdischen Forschungs Hangar #3 and Die Glockegewölbe. Minutes later)

**Sage** : ((You really should have let me mind-link with you BEFORE we left the train))

**Ladyhawk** : ((And let the rest of you see how I stealth my way past opponents? No way!))

**Ranger** : ((Julie? Focus))

**Ladyhawk** : ((I have professional pride here!))

**Sage** : ((You also have company 100 feet ahead of you))

**Ladyhawk** : ((Piece of cake))

(the lights suddenly come on in that sector of corridor. There is nowhere for Ladyhawk to hide from the German squad that can now clearly see her)

**Ladyhawk** : ((Okay, I've been in worse jams...))

(As the German squad pulls pulson rifles on her, Spiritual Warrior teleports in front of her. Squad empties their magazines into him for no effect)

**Starforce** (flying past Spiritual Warrior): "Wir dran." /* Our turn */

(Starforce clears the left side of the tunnel with force blasts, move-bys, and martial arts while Spiritual Warrior takes his side down hand-to-hand)

(the rest of the team catches up to them)

**Ladyhawk** : "Great! Now they know we're coming!"

(the team runs into the final room. Die Glocke is there. So are three platoons of the SS's finest and three crude mecha)

**Ranger** : "I think they already knew."

**Starforce** (looking at the mecha): "Oh, that is SO sick and WRONG!"

(the SS Colonel standing in front of Die Glocke speaks)

**SS Colonel** : "My dear Union Jack! Do I have you to thank for Die Glocke's return?"

**Union Jack** : "Ernst von Niehl. We meet again."

**von Niehl** : "And with so many Amerikanischer schweinhunden assisting you!" (addressing TASK FORCE) "Please, make yourself comfortable and meet your doom at the hands of superior German science!"

**Ranger** : "If it's so superior, why do you require slave labor to enable it?"

**von Niehl** : "It is the proper place of untermenschen, mein herr. Germany shall be as a cleansing fire to the world, purging it of its imperfections..."

**Spiritual Warrior** (to Starforce): "You take the high one. I'll take the low one."

**Union Jack** (throwing shield at center mecha): "And I'll be in Scotland a-fore ye!"

(Spiritual Warrior half-move 'ports over to the right mecha and hits, doing 6 BODY and 27 STUN. Its pilot is CON-stunned)

(Union Jack's shield severs a hydraulic line servicing the center mecha's legs. We'll assume that does a Change Environment, -6 to DEX rolls and it falls to its knees. Its fire hits Spiritual Warrior, two shots of the 3-shot autofire hit for a total of 20 STUN)

(Starforce 12d6 Force Blast hits left mecha for 4 BODY and 34 STUN, CON-stunning the pilot. He then does a 15d6 flying move-by throw on it, tangling it up with the center mecha and doing 3 more BODY and 43 more STUN. The left mecha is out and its pilot hurt badly, the center mecha is also out)

(Spiritual Warrior takes another swing at the right mecha and hits, doing 6 BODY and 39 STUN. Its pilot is out and hurt bad)

(Ladyhawk sets off a flash-bang 5 meters in front of her, then throws her marbles across the floor as she executes an Artful Dodge past the SS platoon on the right. None of them are standing after she finishes, most have shot each other)

(Mr. Bassman 2d6 area-effect cone attack NND on the SS platoon to the left does 4 STUN this phase, and he's still going. Sage starts working with him and mentally-blasting each member one at a time)

(Ranger speed runs into the center platoon. Union Jack charges in shield-first as well, with Maj. Harmon following in his wake after picking up a German pulson rifle)

(Starforce half-move flight into the middle of the right platoon and force-flashes 5 of them trying to get back to their feet for 5 BODY and 20 STUN. All are CON-stunned.)

**Starforce** : "Dumkopfen!"

(he turns to locate another target, only to be staring nose-to-warhead at what appears to be a crude RPG launcher being held by Colonel von Niehl. Appearances end with the evil purple energies crawling over the warhead, however)

**von Niehl** (sinister smile): "You might have some problems with my dimensional bazooka, mein herr."

(three shuriken embed themselves in Col. von Niehl's arm. He screams and drops the launcher, which launches the RPG when it hits the floor. Exhaust backwash sets the spilled hydraulic fluid from the mechas on fire. The warhead's explosion disintegrates the far end of the cavern, precipitating a partial collapse at that end)

**Ladyhawk** (coming out of throwing pose): "Oops?"

(Starforce makes an INT roll and realizes that a hydraulic fire around three mecha's worth of unexpended ordinance is a VERY Bad Thing. What makes this a superpower is that he beats Ladyhawk's Danger Sense by a full second)

**Starforce** (diving on top of Ladyhawk to protect her): "DAMMIT!!!"

**Ranger** (drawing the correct conclusion from Starforce's behavior): "TAKE COVER!!"

(the mecha's remaining ammunition cooks off, spraying the vault with live fire. Amazingly, no one who isn't German is damaged)

(beat, punctuated only by the moans of the wounded and dying)

**Starforce** (pulling Ladyhawk to her feet): "We have to stop meeting like this."

(the click of a safety echoes through the room. It's Col. von Niehl again, somehow standing despite third-degree burns and pointing a pulson rifle at Starforce and Ladyhawk)

**von Niehl** : "Not so fast, meine damen und herren..."

(von Niehl takes a chair from the right-hand mecha to the head and drops unconscious. Maj. Harmon stands behind him, still wielding it)

**Harmon** : "Please, Colonel. Have a seat."

* * *

(Die Glockegewölbe, Der Riese complex. Five minutes later. The hydraulic fluid fires are almost out)

**Ladyhawk** (handing a brick of plastic explosive to Maj. Harmon): "This is the last one."

(Maj. Harmon puts it in place underneath the base of Die Glocke, and puts some wires into it which hook it up to all the explosives now festooning it)

**Harmon** : "And there we go!"

(while this is happening, Starforce is setting controls on Die Glocke while PFC Renton watches)

**Starforce** : "Is is me or are you having the most incredible sensation of deja vu right now?"

**Renton** (humorlessly): "It's you."

**Starforce** (rolling eyes): "You've memorized everything that I told you to?"

**Renton** : "Yes, since England." (beat) "Which would have been this morning."

**Starforce** : "Good, because I don't want to have to hunt you down and kick your butt until you do."

(PFC Renton and Starforce crawl out of the insides of Die Glocke)

**Harmon** (to Ranger): "Before you return to 1986, start the timer."

**Ranger** : "How long will we have?"

**Harmon** : "60 seconds." (beat) "Will it work?"

**Starforce** : "Our histories of World War 2 record that Die Glocke went missing after an Allied commando raid in September of 1944. Make of that what you will."

**Ranger** : "We thank you for your assistance, Major."

**Harmon** : "If I have a child someday, I hope he or she fights alongside you."

**Ranger** : "I think he's a little young in 1986, but in 10 years? Who knows."

**Harmon** (beat, grinning like an idiot): "I'm going to have a son!"

**Ladyhawk** (muttered to Ranger): "Smooth, Ted."

**Union Jack** : "Major? Private? A saucer-shaped craft awaits us back down the tunnel."

**Harmon** (to Union Jack): "Are you sure we can figure it out?"

**Union Jack** : "Between the three of us? No problem." (to TASK FORCE) "Excellent chaps, all of you. It has been an honor."

**Ranger** : "Likewise, sir."

(Ranger and Union Jack shake hands. The indigenous 1944 people head back down Haupttunnel Mölke to Unterirdischen Forschungs Hangar #3)

**Starforce** (murmurs while smiling): "I got to hang out with Amazing Man! Is that cool or WHAT?"

**Ladyhawk** : "I got to meet UNION JACK!"

**Ranger** (to Starforce): "How soon will we be ready?"

**Starforce** : "Right about now. I'm going to run it in portal mode because its default mode seems to be less accurate than the TARDIS. Give me a couple of seconds to sanity-check everything one last time."

(Satisfied with the settings and connections around Die Glocke, he walks over to the main fusebox and makes the last connection)

**Starforce** : "Going live in 3... 2... 1..."

(He throws the circuit breaker. There is a pause, then something starts flashing inside Die Glocke)

**Mr. Bassman** : "Hey, mon. Why the Bell be flashin' like that?"

(everyone looks at Die Glocke)

**Starforce** : "It's Morse code! Hang on..."

(everyone accretes around Starforce)

**Starforce** : "8... 6..." (beat) "R... E... N... T... O... N!"

(Starforce starts whooping and laughing crazily)

**Starforce** : "HaHA!! He got my letter!"

**Ranger** : "What? Who?"

**Ladyhawk** : "What letter?"

**Starforce** (still laughing maniacally): "The one I wrote to Private Renton to be delivered to him in April of 1986. Ha, HA!!"

**Spiritual Warrior** : "Why him? I know he becomes Amazing Man."

**Ladyhawk** : "Who had mad gadgeteering skills that exceeded Nerd-boy's back in the day."

**Starforce** : "That's part of the reason."

**Sage** : "And the other part of the reason?"

**Starforce** : "By our era, Dr. Renton is Humanity's foremost expert in hyperdimensional math and electrogravitics!"

**Ranger** : "Is that why you had him memorizing everything to do with Die Glocke when we were in England?"

**Starforce** : "Yep." (beat) "Also, why ELSE do you think he used electrogravitics to power the 'Jules Verne' in 1960?"

**Sage** : "So you basically have now created a causal loop in human history." (beat) "Your species IS dangerous!"

**Ladyhawk** : "Does anyone else's brain hurt?"

**Mr. Bassman** : "Was the letter he got the one you wrote this morning?"

**Starforce** : "Yes. I explained our circumstances and requested pickup from 1944 at Der Riese." (beat) "Speaking of which, I've gotta let him know we're receiving him."

(Starforce reaches in and starts flipping the portal mode switch on the control panel)

**Starforce** (to himself): "I'll be lucky to get 5 words per minute at this rate..."

(He finishes sending the message, 'We are here' and leaves Die Glocke in portal mode. A pinkish swirl of energy begins to form, then dramatically brightens in intensity. A garage can be dimly seen on the other side)

**Starforce** (smiling): "All aboard!" (beat) "You first, Vikon."

(Sage walks through and the portal flashes.)

**Starforce** : "Bassman?"

(Mr. Bassman walks through. The portal flashes, and a humanoid figure flashing a thumbs-up can be made out from the 1944 side of the portal)

**Starforce** : "Pastor?"

(Spiritual Warrior walks through and transits back to 1986)

**Ranger** : "I'll go last."

**Starforce** : "No, I'll need to be the last one through. Just in case something breaks at this end."

**Ranger** : "Don't forget to start the explosives."

(Ranger transits back to 1986)

**Starforce** : "Okay, Ninjette..."

(Starforce freezes when he turns around, because Colonel von Niehl has Ladyhawk in a hostage-hold and also has his gun to her head)

**Starforce** : "Oh, what the hell IS it with you?!?"

**von Niehl** : "Take me with you or I kill the lovely fraulein."

(Ladyhawk rolls her eyes and lets von Niehl have it in the privates. She casually disarms him, throws the gun well out of arm's reach while he recovers from being CON-stunned, and walks past Starforce into Die Glocke)

**Ladyhawk** (muttering): "Men..."

(Ladyhawk transits back to 1986. Starforce picks up the explosives timer and starts it)

**Starforce** : "And last but not least, me!"

(He starts to step through the portal)

**Starforce** (at the 1986 threshold): "Hey, guys! Miss... ACK!"

(Starforce is yanked back partially through the portal by his cape. It's Colonel von Niehl AGAIN)

**von Niehl** : "I WILL BE VICTORIOUS!"

(Starforce braces his right hand on the 1986 side of the portal, reaches out with his left hand, and puts it on von Niehl's face)

**Starforce** : "YOU will be HISTORY!!"

(Starforce lets him have it with a pushed Phase Blast [roughly 16d6]. Die Glocke, unabe to cope with the sudden influx of electrogravitic energy attempting to separate Colonel von Niehl's head from the rest of his body, explodes with von Niehl still inside. Starforce is blown free into 1986, bounces off the back wall of a garage, and lands hard on the garage's concrete slab, CON-stunned)

(Starforce recovers from being stunned to see a much older and wet Michael Renton looking at him with academic interest. Everything in his garage is dripping wet from the sprinkler system dousing the flames caused by Die Glocke's explosion)

**Renton** (removing the pipe he HAD been smoking from his mouth): "I'll say this. You haven't changed in 42 years."

* * *

**EPILOGUE** : Near Lake Tahoe, CA. April 1986. The Renton's are entertaining TASK FORCE following their recovery

**Renton** : "Most of the final explosion's energy dissipated at right angles to the dimensions we can normally perceive, which is why both the ranch and Ludwigsdorf are still here."

**Starforce** : "At least we *were* able to destroy it." (beat) "And what of Colonel von Niehl? He was still inside Die Glocke when I let him have it."

**Renton** : "Who can say? I've seen stranger things in my life than a survivor of a multidimensional explosion."

(Patricia Renton walks up)

**Patricia** : "Michael, dear, may I borrow Dr. Hawkins before he gets trapped in a verbal maze of hyperdimensional mathematics?"

**Renton** (taking a pull from his pipe): "You may, my love."

**Patricia** (quick peck on her husband's cheek): "Thank you."

(Patricia steers Bob away as Michael relights his pipe)

**Starforce** : "Mrs. Renton! Hi!" (beat) "Oh God, that sounded so fanboyish."

**Patricia** (laughing): "Relax, Dr. Hawkins. I'm quite used to it." (beat, more serious) "I was actually wondering if you could help me with something."

**Starforce** : "Sure!"

**Patricia** : "Our son, Peter, is quite a fan of yours. He couldn't stop talking about you when your letter arrived."

**Starforce** : "Okay. Did he help?"

**Patricia** : "He provided computer support. It's the first time I've seen him work with his father on something in years."

**Starforce** : "He's been a problem? No way!"

**Patricia** : "He's a teenager. Michael and I suddenly became incredibly stupid on his 13th birthday." (beat) "Could you talk with him, Dr. Hawkins?"

**Starforce** : "Ma'am, interpersonal relations aren't exactly something I'm good at..."

**Patricia** : "You can get through to him where we can't. Please?"

**Starforce** (beat): "I'll see what I can do."

**Patricia** : "Thank you."

(Bob walks off, passing Ted as he leaves the library. Julie intercepts Ted)

**Ladyhawk** : "Well?"

**Ranger** : "I just got off the phone with the Golden Avenger. They cleaned up the Trinity site days ago and will have a jet at Reno to pick us up tomorrow. He was wondering what had happened to us."

**Ladyhawk** : "Oh my God. I completely forgot about Trinity."

**Ranger** : "We all did. Time travel can do that to you." (beat) "He told me the site was deserted when PRIMUS arrived. They cleaned up what they could, took agents into custody, but there was a distinct lack of Doctors Destroyer."

**Ladyhawk** : "Things got a little strange there at the end."

**Ranger** : "They also surveyed the Gulfstream, and reported it as a total constructive loss."

**Ladyhawk** : "Crap. That's how many jets we've destroyed in two years?"

**Ranger** : "Two." (beat) "I'm glad *I'm* not Chairman of the Board and have to explain to them why TASK FORCE keeps commandeering -- and wrecking -- our planes."

(Julie makes a face at Ted)

**Ladyhawk** : "We'll be lucky to be allowed to fly coach in the future." (beat) "Have you seen Bob?"

(Ted raises an eyebrow)

**Ladyhawk** : "Stop it."

**Ranger** : "I think I just saw him walk out onto the back porch with the Renton's boy."

**Ladyhawk** : "Thanks."

(Julie walks off and strolls past where the Renton's are now talking with the rest of the team in the living room)

**Sage** (to Michael Renton): "So you obviously made it back safely?"

**Renton** : "Not all of us. A flight of Me-262s jumped the saucer near the Swiss border. We got hit and started to go down. There were only two parachutes on board."

**Mr. Bassman** : "Who used them?"

**Renton** : "Union Jack forced me and Major Harmon to wear them, then shoved us out. We made it out, made it down, and made it to the Swiss side of the border."

**Spiritual Warrior** : "And Union Jack?"

**Renton** : "He rode the saucer down somewhere in the Alps. The crash site has never been discovered."

(Julie slips out onto the back porch and sees Bob talking with Peter Renton. She stays in the shadows.)

**Starforce** : "I wouldn't BE a superhero if it weren't for your father. I hero-worshipped him when *I* was your age."

**Peter** : "Dad?"

**Starforce** : "Yeah, your father. The man who lied about HIS age to enlist in the Army Air Force in World War Two."

**Peter** : "You're kidding."

**Starforce** : "It meant THAT much to him." (beat) "Your parent's generation survived a world-wide economic depression, beat THREE would-be planet-conquering dictators, and for an encore sent twelve men to the surface of our Moon. Not to mention their personal accomplishments defending our world as superheroes in the '60s."

**Peter** : "I've never thought about my parents that way before..."

**Starforce** : "If they weren't so modest about their achievements, they would DARE you to do better." (takes a drink of his Dr. Pepper) "Do me a favor and cut them some slack."

(Peter looks at Starforce, slack-jawed in amazement)

**Starforce** : "It is my hope that I become half as cool as they were."

**Peter** : "But they're not superheroes anymore!"

**Starforce** : "They quit superheroing to raise you. They were THERE for you. If *I* ever have children, I hope I have the courage to make the same decision."

**Peter** : "Like if you ever hook up with the blonde ninja?"

(in the shadows, Julie's eyes widen)

**Starforce** : "Why would you think that?"

**Peter** : "Your workstation? The one you gave the IP address for in the letter so I could FTP over your programs and MATLAB models on hyperdimensional physics? Your password is 'Ninjette' with a 1 for the i, a 3 for both e's, and a 7 for both t's."

(Julie smiles)

**Starforce** (beat): "I don't do fantasy in real life. Neither should you."

(Julie bites her hand hard to suppress a reaction that Bob can hear)

**Peter** : "Cool talking to you, Dr. Hawkins. Good night."

**Starforce** (shakes his hand): "G'night."

(Peter leaves the back porch. Bob continues to look over Lake Tahoe and drink his Dr. Pepper. Julie desperately wants to cry)

* * *

(Dedication to the album _War Years_ by Bowser Bastable [1987, Capital Records])

_To Bob_  
  
---  
  
_for giving me the idea without realizing it_  
  
_and_  
  
_to Julie_  
  
_for giving the idea voice one magical night_  
  
* * *

(fin)

**Author's Note:**

>  **Julie's Set List**  
>  These are the songs that Julie performed in the RAF Woodbridge O Club, in order of performance. The video for each song is in the key Julie performs that song in, at the approximate correct tempo.
> 
> [Paper Moon](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gapCK5_rMuY) | obviously there won't be a men's quartet backing Julie up; Bob fills in with the piano there  
> ---|---  
> [Stardust](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h9hdRixd6k) | the background instruments take some liberties with the arrangement :(  
> [If I Had You](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlNwlRaiWWM) | The Diana Krall cover. Of course.  
> [The Way You Look Tonight](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GECvAfgQAiI) | Bob cuts out the lengthy piano bridge (roughly from 3:00 to 4:20)  
> [Our Love Is Here To Stay](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akOLLgxvHT0) | Bob will have to use the piano to fill in for the extra instruments, obviously  
> [I'll Be Seeing You](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0Go8Xep9fY) | almost went with the Vera Lynn cover instead  
> I Got Rhythm | no video exists of the Purdue Glee Club version which Bob references; if it did it would be in the wrong key anyway. The closest I can get is a mashup of the Lena Horne [slow section, wrong key] and Halle Berry/Dorothy Dandridge [fast section, correct key] covers on YouTube, which are left as an exercise in Googling


End file.
